Chapter 24

Isaac’s first day is full of excitement. He is given his armor and sword, and brought out to meet all the other knights. He looks around, seeing everyone else in their armor, their helmets held in their hands. He notices all the worn out and scarred faces. He’s by far the youngest in the crowd. Everyone’s armor is the same, except for their helmets. Most of them differ slightly, a dent here, a marking there. It seems like the knights add something small to be able to differentiate one another during battle.

An older man, a scar down the left side of his face, steps up on a large wooden block. In a loud, commanding voice, he calls out, “KNIGHTS OF MONPLAST. I HAVE GATHERED YOU HERE THIS MORN TO MAKE KNOWN OUR NEXT CAMPAIGN.”

The knights cheer, raising their helmets to the sky. Isaac just looks around, watching.

“ON THE MORROW WE SHALL MARCH ON THUNDERVALE. THE COWARDS HAVE BEEN PERMITTED TOO MUCH FREEDOM. IT’S TIME WE SHOW THEM WHAT REAL KNIGHTS ARE MADE OF!”

The knights yell out, cheering. They clang their metal helmets against their armor, declaring their support to the captain.

The captain pulls out his sword, raising it high in the air. “WE THE FREE, SHALL BECOME DEATH ONCE MORE. FOR MONPLAST!”

Every single knight pulls their sword from its sheath, holding it up in the air, Isaac included. “FOR MONPLAST,” they all shout.

The next day, all the knights gather at the gate, ready to march on Thundervale. Most of them are seasoned warriors, but no matter how many battles they’ve fought, the fear of death never leaves their mind. Isaac on the other hand is more excited than nervous, having never experienced the horrors of true war. He puts his helmet on as they begin to march.

The two bands of knights stand face to face, both ready for a fight. The captain yells “CHARGE!”

The knights rush forward, swinging their weapons as they clash with one another. The only way to tell friend from foe is by the color of their armor. Monplast shines in silver, while Thundervale gleams in black. Isaac’s closer to the back of the group, waiting for his turn to fight. As all the knights ahead of him start running, it’s now his chance to show everyone what he’s capable of.

He unsheathes his sword. As he runs toward the enemy, he starts to see the blood from his fellow knights fighting around him. It’s slightly discouraging, but he still feels more confidence than fear. That is, until the head of his captain rolls in the mud, landing at his feet. It stops, looking straight up at him. Before a scream, vomit starts spewing out Isaac’s mouth. He has to pull off his helmet to stop it from filling the inside of his armor. He falls to his knees, feeling sicker by the second. He turns, seeing the old man’s pale face right beside him. The sight of the decapitated head makes him dizzy. He feels lightheaded, passing out in the middle of the battlefield.

Isaac’s eyes open slowly, wondering what happened. He starts to stand, wiping the vomit and mud from his face. He looks around, seeing the battle already over. But the bodies on the ground surrounding him, they’re all knights of Monplast. It was a slaughter of which Isaac was the only survivor. The only reason he lived is because the enemy thought he was already dead. He no longer holds his sword nor his helmet. He just wanders through the sea of bodies, recognizing the faces of those he thought would become his lifelong companions. No more does he wish to be a knight. No more does he wish to be strong. He just simply wants to go home.

THUNK

An arrow lodges itself into his shoulder.

He hears a voice yell out, “THERE’S STILL ONE LEFT!”

Isaac turns, seeing the enemy knights in the distance, an army of blood covered armor. 

He whimpers, “I just wanna go home.”

THUNK

Another arrow lodges itself in his skull.